FDA approves melanoma drug from Merck

The sixth melanoma drug to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2011 is now in the market. This new melanoma drug was manufactured by Merck and it is called Keytruda – a drug that activates a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer cells and growths.

Melanoma is a rare skin cancer condition that is often deadly and malignant. Keytruda works by helping the body to identify cancer cells and to attack them to the points of destruction. It also appears to work where other skin cancer drugs have failed to help patients. It was tested on over 600 patients suffering from malignant melanoma and found to help a great deal.

According to Dr. Antoni Ribas from the University of California, who conducted the study, “this drug is a game changer, a very significant advance in the treatment of melanoma. For patients who have not responded to prior therapies, this drug now provides a very real chance to shrink their tumors and the hope of a lasting response to treatment.” And as if to lend credence to Dr. Ribas’ research, two cancer survivors have given testimony to the effect of the drug after undergoing initial clinical trials.

74-year old Tom Stutz from Sherman Oaks in California and Kathy Thomas, a 59-year old woman from Torrance, California have stated that they had experienced real improvements after using Keytruda. They both testify that their bodies have been able to defeat deadly cancer cells after using the Merck’s drug. Keytruda goes for $12,500 per month for a single patient, or $150,000 for a year. This appears pricey but many patients will be able to go for it once they decide that is what is needed for them to recover from the deadly melanoma skin cancer.